2014 Draft Prep: Head-to-Head draft (12/2)

With the general managers meetings in our rear-view mirror and the Winter Meetings just ahead of us, hot stove season is in full swing. We just thought we would help the momentum along by rolling out our first mock draft of the offseason...

Some of the results of our 2014 12-team mixed Head-to-Head mock would look downright peculiar to someone who slept through the 2013 season. Ryan Braun taken with the last pick in the first round? Justin Verlander, David Price and Stephen Strasburg being taken after a starting pitcher -- Jose Fernandez -- who had yet to play above Advanced Class A a year ago? Half a dozen first basemen coming off the board before Albert Pujols? These are a few of the features of a Fantasy baseball landscape that has shifted in some dramatic ways over the past year.

It's nothing new for aging or injury-prone players to get supplanted by young rising stars in the early rounds, and if this mock draft is any indication, those shifts won't have major implications for your big-picture strategy. For example, even though Matt Kemp, Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Hamilton and Jose Bautista were absent from the first two rounds (where they were frequently chosen in 2013 drafts), outfielders remained popular early. Seven were selected within the first two rounds, with six of those among the first 14 players taken.

Within the first five rounds, first basemen were still more coveted than catchers, second basemen, third basemen and shortstops. However, in this draft, middle infielders were a more popular early round selection than they typically were in 2013 drafts, thanks to the rise of Matt Carpenter, Jason Kipnis, Ian Desmond, Jean Segura and Elvis Andrus -- and the resurrection of Hanley Ramirez.

As this draft took place one day before the Rangers sent Ian Kinsler to the Tigers, Jurickson Profar's stock was likely lower than it would have been, had owners known precisely what role he was going to have in 2014. Now that Profar is slated to be Texas' starting second baseman, he could conceivably be drafted at least a couple of rounds earlier than he was (Round 19) in this mock.

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In the middle rounds, the draft started to take on a decidedly different flavor. By the end of the eighth round, nearly all of the established No. 1 and 2 starting pitchers had been claimed. While some owners looked to proven veterans like Jon Lester, C.J. Wilson and Doug Fister to serve as their middle-of-the-rotation types, several others took the opportunity to pursue upside. Between Rounds 8 and 14, Michael Wacha, Gerrit Cole, Sonny Gray, Danny Salazar and Taijuan Walker all found homes, even though none has made as many as 20 regular season starts in the majors.

Around the same time, owners started to fill their relief slots, beginning with the Round 9 selection of Craig Kimbrel. Aroldis Chapman was taken eight picks later, but the reliever run didn't begin in earnest until Round 14. SPARPs (starting pitchers as relief pitchers) were almost a non-factor in this draft, as Alex Wood was taken in Round 13, and no other relief-eligible starters were taken before Round 16.

These are just some of the patterns that emerged in this early mock. Again, your results may vary, but this particular draft was the product of the preferences and strategies of these 12 owners.

(4:31 pm ET)Despite producing a quality start in Sunday's game against the Blue Jays, Royals pitcher Edinson Volquez received his sixth loss of the season during the 5-2 loss.

Volquez gave up two runs on four hits over six innings of work. He also struck out four and walked three. His biggest mistake was surrendering a two-run home run to Chris Colabello in the fourth inning. He is now 10-6 with a 3.20 ERA.

Volquez has now earned a quality start in each of his last four starts, but he is 2-2 in those outings.

Jimenez suffered through his third awful performance in his last four outings. He surrendered six runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings with one walk and two strikeouts.

His start began badly on a three-run homer by J.D. Martinez in the first inning. He settled down for a bit, but four hits in the fifth, including a Jose Iglesias triple and Ian Kinsler single, plated three more runs.

Jimenez has yielded 22 earned runs over his last 18 2/3 innings pitched. His ERA has vaulted to a season-high 4.04. He has dropped four of his last five decisions.

(4:18 pm ET)Daniel Norris certainly made the most of his debut with the Tigers on Sunday. He took an early 3-0 lead and cruised to a victory over Baltimore.

Norris allowed just one run on four hits in seven innings with one walk and five strikeouts. His lone hiccup landed over the fence in the fourth, courtesy of Chris Davis. He retired the next 12 batters he faced.

The left-hander was making his first major league appearance since April 30.

Pirates' Charlie Morton wins for first time since Juneby Shawn Krest | CBSSports.com

(4:16 pm ET)Pirates pitcher Charlie Morton improved to 7-4 on the year with a win over Cincinnati.

The victory snapped a five-start winless streak for Morton. He was 0-3 with two no-decisions since his last win, on June 27.

Morton pitched seven shutout innings, allowing five hits. He didn't walk a batter and struck out a season-high seven.